Ministerial Statement - Logan Revitalisation

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I rise to inform the House that last week Queensland developers and representatives of the building and construction industry met with me to discuss a plan to revitalise Logan by taking a precinct-by-precinct approach to delivering more housing and revitalising communities. This morning I outlined the way forward to the Logan City Council. At both of these meetings I have articulated the opportunities to accelerate development through strategic partnerships, delivering achievable outcomes across Logan. Our approach is to commence a real development plan for Logan which will include new public housing homes, new affordable homes and genuine community revitalisation and job-creating industry partnerships.

What we do in Logan will be a template for redevelopment and revitalisation across the state in places like Cairns, Townsville, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. In cities and towns across Queensland, there are neighbourhoods that offer a similar opportunity to deliver better housing for those in need and, at the same time, revitalise entire suburbs.

This decision means that in Logan and elsewhere across the state we will continue to be responsible for the delivery of essential services, including housing. This represents a rejection of the risky and untested program that was to be the largest single privatisation of public housing assets in Australia’s history. This decision represents a rejection of mass privatisation. I can inform the House that our plan replaces the previous government’s scheme that included a giveaway of up to half a billion dollars worth of public housing—that is right, a giveaway of half a billion dollars worth of public housing.

Further, I can inform the House in relation to local employment outcomes that the Queensland government has a longstanding arrangement with over 70 local contractors to provide $10 million worth of maintenance a year for Logan housing. These arrangements were at risk under the previous government’s scheme, which outsourced maintenance work to interstate companies.

Our Woodridge Housing Service Centre staff do a fantastic job and they deserve secure jobs, secure wages and security for their families. Over the last 18 months every member of the government has continued to help to deliver on improvements to front-line services. They have worked to support and create jobs. Our decision on housing delivers on our commitments to essential services and jobs in this state. We will make sure that, when it comes to decisions about housing and essential services for the most vulnerable, no-one will be left behind or put in the too-hard basket.

Our approach rejects an attitude—an attitude akin to locking the door and throwing away the keys. Over the last 18 months this government has delivered—and we will continue to deliver—essential services like housing, as we should and as Queenslanders expect.